Fashion Week Dining Guide: The Good, the Bad, and the So Last Season

Designer-approved dining has come a long way since Fashion Cafe, Claudia Schiffer, Elle MacPherson, and Naomi Campbell’s failed Disney ride of a theme restaurant that attempted to trick eager eaters into believing that supermodels regularly chow down on pizza, burgers, and fish and chips. Today, nearly two decades later, it’s no longer imperative that a restaurant be owned by a catwalk vet in order to appeal to trendsetting tastemakers.

While the Anna Wintours of the world will always have their wining and dining mainstays (can you say Indochine?), there’s a new breed of up-and-coming restaurateurs making a name with the city’s couture set—even in neighborhoods that require a ride on the G train.

With New York Fashion Week in full swing—and shows happening in every corner of Manhattan—where to eat/not eat, drink/drink too much, and party after gawking at the purple and preppy trends emerging from the runway has become a citywide affair.

And so, to help you navigate the #menswear bros and stilettos, we present our very own Fashion Week Dining Guide.

ACME

Who you’ll see: Indie-minded designers and celebs who were still in grade school when Indochine opened.
What you’ll eat: New American dishes with a Nordic twist—like beef tenderloin with sardines, cherries, and mustard greens—courtesy of executive chef Mads Refslund (formerly of Noma in Copenhagen).
The bottom line: After being initiated as a NYFW hotspot in 2012, when both Rodarte and The Last Magazine hosted parties here, the buzz surrounding this Noho restaurant (from the same team that created Indochine) has continued into the new season. No matter if there is a “soil” section of the menu—which sounds impossibly trendy—we don’t see this spot withering away anytime soon (unlike many of the models at its tables.) It’s a serious dining option for both fashionistas and the fooderati.
Fashion equivalent: A perfectly-tailored Moods of Norway suit.
9 Great Jones St (212-203-2121, acmenyc.com)

Mission Chinese Food

Who you’ll see: Fearless fashionistas who aren’t offended—or embarrassed—to have to wait until their name is called for a table.
What you’ll eat: Every part of the animal in question, from the nose to the tail, much of it with a heat designation of either “Spicy” or “Very Freaking Spicy.” The popular broccoli beef brisket is one of the few dishes that won’t require a gallon of ice water (or cold beer).
The bottom line: It would be easy to pass right by this LES storefront, mistaking it for yet another mediocre takeout joint. Fortunately, the long line of anxious eaters will clue you into the fact that there’s a James Beard Rising Chef of the Year (Danny Bowien) is behind the scenes.
Fashion equivalent: A Chanel tweed jacket with Old Navy jeans.
154 Orchard St (212-529-8800, missionchinesefood.com)

Balthazar

Who you’ll see: David and Victoria Beckham brunching with their kids and the rest of the city’s beautiful people.
What you’ll eat: Perfectly executed French bistro staples, from onion soup to steak frites.
The bottom line: Keith McNally’s iconic SoHo bistro is as popular today as it was when it opened 16 years ago. In other words, it has about three times the shelf-life of the average model’s career.
Fashion equivalent: A little black dress.
80 Spring St (212-965-1414, balthazarny.com)

Jack's Wife Freda

Who you’ll see: The beautiful people who couldn't get a table at Balthazar.
What you’ll eat: Homey dishes that you could probably make at home, but wouldn’t turn out nearly as well, like matzo ball soup, soy-glazed fish a la plancha, and a grilled tomato and fried onion-topped burger.
The bottom line: Husband-and-wife owners Dean and Maya Jankelowitz have taken an appropriately respectful page out of their former boss Keith McNally’s book (the two met while working at Balthazar), creating a cozy, all-hours eatery that is forward-thinking but not at all intimidating.
Fashion equivalent: Your favorite jeans and a white T-shirt with a killer pair of designer shoes.
224 Lafayette St (212-510-8550, jackswifefreda.com)

The Smile

Who you’ll see: Artistic types who could be models, and models whose favorite accessory is a well-worn copy of Proust.
What you’ll eat: A regularly changing menu of solid locally-sourced and Mediterranean-inspired bites, including salads, sandwiches, and health-conscious entrees.
The bottom line: A restaurant/coffee bar/retail store/tattoo parlor hybrid is the perfect dining destination for NYC’s #tastemakers. And The Smile co-owner Carlos Quirarte, a former employee of denim label Earnest Sewn, is just the guy to make it happen. It doesn’t hurt that The Smile operates the on-site café at fashion shoot mainstay Milk Studios either.
Fashion equivalent: A unisex Anthropologie.
26 Bond St (646-329-5836, thesmilenyc.com)

Indochine

Who you’ll see: Anna Wintour, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rachel Zoe, and other fashion A-listers who command a first-row seat.
What you’ll eat: Sometimes questionable takes on French-colonial Vietnamese dishes, that will cost you as much as a APC sweatshirt (we say buy the sweatshirt instead).
The bottom line: Indochine is to New York’s fashion elite as Soho House is to Hollywood’s power players. And there’s nothing wrong with that…if you’re practiced at keeping your elbows off the table all evening (and can actually score an invite past the should-be gilded gates of the near-30-year-old eatery). Non-stuffy types who actually care about food would do well to walk a few blocks further to Jack’s Wife Freda.
Fashion equivalent: Miranda Priestley’s closet from The Devil Wears Prada.430 Lafayette St (212-505-5111; indochinenyc.com)

Dos Caminos Meatpacking

Who you’ll see: Milk Studios employees desperately trying to consume something that doesn’t come in a Venti Starbucks cup, plus locals and tourists unaware that Fashion Week is even happening.
What you’ll eat: Upscale fajitas, tacos, and burritos—but fajitas, tacos, and burritos nonetheless. Delicious? It's pretty run-of-the-mill Tex Mex fare. Sexy? Hell no. It also doesn’t help Dos Caminos’ cause that they’ve created a special “Haute Couture” cocktail for the week. Which is sort of like wearing the T-shirt of the band whose concert you're at.
The bottom line: Its proximity to Milk Studios makes it decidedly tempting. But arriving to your next showroom appointment with a guacamole stain on your otherwise perfectly coiffed self is a definite fashion faux pas.
Fashion equivalent: Designer sweatpants—comfy and cool, but not appropriate for every occasion.
675 Hudson St (212-699-2400, doscaminos.com)

Beauty & Essex

Who you’ll see: Lindsay Lohan, Kate Upton, and mooks who think they have a chance of hooking up with Kate Upton.
What you’ll eat: Food that’s as pretty as the clientele: tomato tartare with a sunnyside up quail egg, salmon ceviche with coconut milk and fresh apple, and petite cupcakes.
The bottom line: A venue that actually puts the word “Beauty” in its name is just begging for patrons who value aesthetics over quality. Which is exactly what they get. Don't get us wrong, the food is slightly above average, thanks to Chris Santos. But the crowd comes for the crowd—not the grub.
Fashion equivalent: A sheer top that you don't realize is completely see-through until it's too late.
146 Essex St (212-614-0146, beautyandessex.com)

The Fat Radish

Who you’ll see: Cool downtown types who pretend to care about where their food and drink comes from.
What you’ll eat: Fat Radish boasts a farm-to-table philosophy, but conscientious sourcing with amateurish execution does not equal good food. Here, sustainability is as much of an accessory as a new Birkin.
The bottom line: Any menu that serves up this many kale- and heirloom tomato-laced dishes is bound to attract a fashion-industry following. (So much so that the restaurant hosted a French pop-up during Paris Fashion Week.)
Fashion equivalent: Head-to-toe Gant Rugger (they've literally done a collaboration).
17 Orchard St (212-300-4053; thefatradishnyc.com)

Manhattan Inn

Who you’ll see: A hipster crowd trying to be heard over the sound of a fairly talented lineup of local pianists, who play during dinner and weekend brunches.
What you’ll eat: Tapas-style seasonal fare that could include a pan-seared polenta cake with braised oxtail and pork ragout or dayboat scallops with rainbow chard.
The bottom line: Sing us a song, you’re the piano man…or don’t. If you’re going to make the trek to Greenpoint, a better plan might be to cross the street and grab a beer at Tørst.
Fashion equivalent: A tuxedo T-shirt.
632 Manhattan Ave (718-383-0885; themanhattaninn.com)

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